As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly informative discussion! I've been working for about 12 years but never fully grasped how the Social Security earnings record actually works until reading through all these detailed explanations. The core clarification that the earnings record ONLY tracks wages subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax (capped at $168,600 for 2025) and NOT the 1.45% Medicare tax (which has no cap) has been a real eye-opener. I had always assumed my entire FICA contribution was being tracked for future Social Security benefits. The practical advice shared here is outstanding - particularly the W-2 Box 3 vs Box 5 comparison tip and the recommendation to create an online SSA account for annual monitoring. I'm planning to review my earnings history this weekend to ensure everything is accurately recorded. One additional question: I had a period where I worked overseas for a U.S. company and paid into foreign social security systems while also having some U.S. Social Security taxes withheld. Does anyone know how international work situations like this get handled on the Social Security earnings record? I want to make sure those earnings are properly credited since it was a significant portion of my career. Thanks to everyone who has contributed their knowledge and experiences here - this community is proving to be an invaluable resource for understanding these complex government benefit systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add my thanks for this incredibly helpful discussion! I've been working for about 15 years and always wondered why the numbers on my Social Security statement seemed different from what I expected. The clarification that the earnings record only includes wages subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax (up to the annual cap) and excludes the 1.45% Medicare tax portion finally makes perfect sense. I think many of us get confused because we see "FICA taxes" as one line item on our pay stubs, but they're actually two separate systems with different purposes and caps. What really helped me understand this was the explanation that Social Security is both a tax AND a benefit program (so they need to track what you paid in for future benefit calculations), while Medicare is primarily a tax to fund current healthcare coverage (so those earnings don't affect your Social Security benefit amount). I'm definitely going to create my online SSA account this week and use the W-2 Box 3 vs Box 5 comparison method to verify my earnings record. It's reassuring to know there's a clear way to check this stuff rather than just hoping it's all correct. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this community is already proving to be such a valuable resource for understanding these government programs that will be so important for our financial planning!

To summarize what everyone has shared: 1. Withdrawals from 401k/IRA accounts will NOT reduce your monthly Social Security benefit amount 2. These withdrawals ARE considered income for determining how much of your Social Security becomes taxable 3. If your combined income (AGI + non-taxable interest + 1/2 of SS benefits) exceeds certain thresholds, up to 85% of your SS benefits could be subject to income tax 4. For 2025, those thresholds are: - 50% taxable when combined income exceeds $32,000 (married filing jointly) - 85% taxable when combined income exceeds $44,000 (married filing jointly) 5. Once you reach age 73, Required Minimum Distributions from traditional retirement accounts (not Roth) will be mandatory This is why many retirees benefit from tax planning that balances withdrawals across different account types to manage their tax liability effectively.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - if you have both traditional and Roth accounts, you might want to consider doing some Roth conversions in years when your income is lower, before you hit those RMD requirements at 73. Converting traditional IRA money to Roth means paying taxes now, but then those Roth withdrawals won't count toward your AGI later and won't affect the taxation of your Social Security benefits. It's something to discuss with your tax professional, but it can be a smart strategy for managing your long-term tax burden in retirement.

I'm 68 and went through this exact decision 3 years ago while receiving widow benefits. Based on my experience and everything I've learned, January is absolutely the right choice for your situation. Here's what made the difference for me: **COLA Impact**: I gained an extra $63/month by waiting for January - that's over $15,000 over 20 years! The COLA increase applies immediately to your January benefit, while December filing means you miss that year's adjustment entirely. **Tax Strategy**: Having all your Social Security income fall in one tax year (starting January) made my tax planning so much simpler. My accountant was able to better manage my overall tax bracket and avoid some Medicare premium surcharges. **Processing Buffer**: Filing in November for January gave SSA plenty of time to process everything correctly. I've seen too many people file late and accidentally get pushed to the wrong month. **Key Insight**: At 65, you're still under FRA, so your retirement benefit will be reduced. Make absolutely sure to compare your reduced retirement amount to your current widow benefit - widow benefits might actually be higher! If so, consider staying on widow benefits until your FRA and then switching to your own record. The most important advice: get actual dollar amounts for both benefits in writing before deciding anything. Don't rely on assumptions about which benefit is higher. Good luck - you're asking all the right questions!

As someone who works in retirement planning, I wanted to add a few technical points that might help with your decision: **COLA Calculation Timing**: The January advantage is even bigger than most people realize. The COLA isn't just applied to your base benefit - it's applied to your total benefit amount INCLUDING any spousal or survivor benefit calculations. For widow benefits transitioning to retirement, this can create a compounding effect. **Deemed Filing Rules**: Since you're under FRA, when you file for retirement benefits, you're automatically deemed to be filing for the highest benefit available to you. SSA will automatically pay whichever is higher - your retirement or widow benefit - but you can't choose to receive the lower one and let the other grow. **Retroactive Payment Limitation**: One thing to be careful about - if you file late and miss your intended January start, SSA can only provide retroactive payments for up to 6 months for retirement benefits (different from widow benefits). So timing really matters. Given your seasonal work pattern and the fact that you're already managing the earnings test with widow benefits, January filing gives you the cleanest transition. Plus, if you later realize the timing wasn't optimal, you have that 12-month withdrawal option as a safety net. The key is getting those benefit estimates first - you might be surprised by the actual numbers when you see them side by side.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this thread incredibly informative but also quite alarming! I had no idea that mail getting lost at SSA was such a common issue. Reading about everyone's experiences with lost documents and the various workarounds you've all developed is both helpful and concerning. The fact that we need strategies like certified mail, fax backups, and third-party calling services just to ensure basic communication with a government agency seems broken. But I'm grateful for all the practical advice shared here - especially the tip about asking for reference numbers when faxing and the suggestion to visit local offices for urgent deadlines. @dea3190a90ca I'm so relieved you were able to get confirmation through fax with just 17 days left! This community's collective knowledge about navigating SSA's limitations is invaluable for those of us just learning about these processes.

This thread has been such an eye-opener for me as someone who's completely new to dealing with Social Security! I had no idea that mail getting lost was such a widespread issue with SSA - it's honestly terrifying to think that something as important as a withdrawal application could just disappear into the void. Reading about everyone's strategies and backup plans has been incredibly educational. The fax confirmation method that @dea3190a90ca used seems brilliant, and I'm definitely making note of all the tips shared here - certified mail, reference numbers for fax submissions, visiting local offices for urgent deadlines, and even that Claimyr service. It's frustrating that we need all these workarounds in 2025, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share these hard-learned lessons. Wishing you the best with your withdrawal - sounds like you're being appropriately thorough with multiple backup methods!

As someone who just joined this community, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly detailed discussion! I'm 65 and have been wrestling with the exact same question as Luca. My biggest concern was whether I was somehow "losing money" by not claiming yet, especially when I see those big COLA announcements each year. The way everyone has explained how PIA adjustments work has been a revelation - I had no idea that my future benefits were actually growing with each COLA increase even though I'm not collecting yet. This makes my decision to wait until full retirement age feel so much smarter. It's amazing how this one thread has answered questions that months of research on official websites couldn't clarify. Looking forward to learning more from this knowledgeable community!

As a new member to this community, I just want to echo what everyone else has said about how helpful this discussion has been! I'm 66 and was literally about to call SSA tomorrow to start my benefits because I was convinced I was missing out on all these COLA increases. Reading through this thread has completely changed my perspective - I had no idea that my PIA was already being adjusted with each COLA even though I haven't filed yet. Now I understand that waiting until 70 will give me both the delayed retirement credits AND all the COLA adjustments that happen between now and then. This is exactly the kind of real-world explanation that you just can't get from the official SSA materials. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is already proving to be an invaluable resource for navigating Social Security decisions!